UF Wish List?

Record sports writer Hays Carlyon breaks down five high-profile candidates for the University of Florida football coaching position. The spot was made available Monday when the Gators fired Ron Zook.

WHO: Jon Gruden

CURRENTLY: Tampa Bay Bucs head coach

AGE: 41

BIO: Won Super Bowl with Buccaneers and brings 13 years of NFL experience to the table. Also had a solid tenure with Oakland Raiders.

UF CONNECTION: None known, although Gruden does have SEC experience from his time as an assistant at Tennessee from 1986-87.

WHO: Urban Meyer

CURRENTLY: Univ. of Utah head coach

AGE: 40

BIO: Meyer is 34-8 in his career. His Utah squad is 7-0 and ranked ninth in the AP poll. Team has wins over Texas A&M, Arizona and North Carolina.

Sporting News named him its Coach of the Year last season, when he lead the Utes to a 10-2 record, their first conference championship since 1957 and a Liberty Bowl win. Head coach at Bowling Green for two seasons, going 17-6.

UF CONNECTION: Was hired by former Utah and current Florida president Bernie Machen.

WHO: Mike Shanahan

CURRENTLY: Denver Broncos head coach

AGE: 52

BIO: Guided Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowl victories during his 10-year tenure with Denver. The Broncos are currently in first place in the AFC West. Also was a head coach for the Oakland Raiders.

UF CONNECTION: Shanahan has a strong tie to the Florida program. He spent four years at UF in the early '80s as the team's offensive coordinator.

WHO: Steve Spurrier

CURRENTLY: Retired

AGE: 59

BIO: Florida's most successful coach, winning one national championship (1996) and six SEC titles in his 12 years with his alma mater.

Master of the Fun N' Gun offense.

Quit at UF in January of 2002 to pursue NFL opportunities. Proved to be a bust as an NFL head coach going 12-20 in two years with Washington Redskins after leaving UF. Only person in history to win the Heisman Trophy as a player (1966) and coach a Heisman winner (Danny Wuerffel, 1996).

UF CONNECTION: Obvious.

WHO: Bob Stoops

CURRENTLY: Oklahoma head coach

AGE: 44

BIO: In six years with the Sooners, OU has played in three BCS bowls and won a national title. Oklahoma is 7-0 and ranked second in both polls.

UF CONNECTION: Stoops has a big tie to UF. He was Spurrier's defensive coordinator for three years from 1996-98. The Gators were 32-5 in those three seasons.